Cowboy Cookies (ATK)

• servings: Makes 16

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (6½ ounces) all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups packed (10½ ounces) light brown sugar

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg plus 1 large yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups (3 3/4 ounces) old-fashioned

1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped coarse

1 cup (3 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut

2/3 cup (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle posi- tion and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimless cookie sheets with parchment paper. Whisk four, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl.

2. Whisk sugar, melted butter, egg and yolk, and vanilla in large bowl until combined. Stir in flour mixture until no dry streaks remain. Stir in oats, pecans, coconut, and chocolate chips until fully combined (mixture will be sticky).

3. Lightly spray ¼-cup dry measuring cup with vegetable oil spray. Drop level 1/4 cup portions of dough onto prepared sheets, staggering & portions per sheet and spacing them about 2½ inches apart. Divide any remaining dough among portions.

4. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are browned and set and centers are pufted with pale, raw spots, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheet halfvay through baking. Do not overbake.

5. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (Cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.)

Notes

We prefer old-fashioned rolled oats in this recipe, but you can use quick or instant oats in a pinch. Do not use thick-cut oats here; the cookies Will spread too much. These cookies are big and benefit from the extra space provided by a rimless cookie sheet when baking. Our favorite cookie sheet is the Wear-Ever Cookie Sheet (Natural Finish) by Vollrath.

TO MAKE AHEAD

At end of step 3, wrap sheets tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, increase baking time to 16 to 18 minutes. To freeze, portion dough onto parchment- lined sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer frozen portions to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Do not thaw before baking. Increase baking time to 17 to 19 minutes.

Cookie Carryover Baking

Just like meat, cookies continue to bake even after they are removed from the oven. To avoid overbaking, take the cookies out of the oven when they are slightly underdone and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transfer- ring them to a wire rack.

Don't Fence Them In Cowboy cookies need lots of room to expand and bake evenly. To ensure that they don't spread into each other while baking, we arrange no more than 8 portions of dough on each parchment-lined cookie sheet.